


Center Stage (Lumity Idol AU)

by luzbian



Category: The Owl House (Cartoon)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Idols, Bisexual Disaster Luz Noceda, F/F, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, Gay Disaster Amity Blight, not kpop ones though, other tags and characters to be added later, slight/mild angst maybe I haven't decided, the blight parents have no rights so they will not appear in this fic
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-11-05
Updated: 2020-12-05
Packaged: 2021-03-08 20:09:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 13,491
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27392488
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/luzbian/pseuds/luzbian
Summary: Amity Blight is a professional idol who has lost the spark inside of her.Luz Noceda is an aspiring idol that Amity crosses paths with several times while her agency is holding auditions.Suddenly, that spark is back and Amity remembers why she wanted to be an idol in the first place.ORAmity has a crush on the new girl and wants to be removed from her current group to be placed in a new unit with Luz.
Relationships: Amity Blight/Luz Noceda
Comments: 33
Kudos: 190





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> my last special interest of nearly six years was an idol franchise so I thought "hey what if I combine lumity with that" and so here we are

A wave of cool air washes over Amity as she enters the building. She runs a hand through the section of her hair that isn’t tied up and sighs, already wishing summer break was over. After cutting her hair to about chin length she expected to be able to withstand the heat just a little bit more. She was wrong.

It’s late May but even then it’s somewhere above 80 degrees outside, with high humidity and no wind. The walk from the train station may be short but it’s clearly not short enough, as the ten minute walk made sweat bead up along her forehead and back of her neck.

She lifts a hand as a greeting to the staff inside the entrance as she walks up to the stairway. Tugging the door open, Amity slips inside and starts going up to the second floor. 

In the changing room she puts on her practice clothing: indigo shorts, purple tank top, and dark pink off the shoulder top. With an extra tug to make sure her ponytail is in place she leaves her bag in her locker, only taking her water bottle and phone with her.

Amity bumps into someone directly outside the door. 

Boscha. A member of her group, a few inches taller with dyed pink hair. “Ugh, I was hoping I’d be the first one here today,” she says bitterly.

“Should’ve gotten here earlier, then. And if you’re this cranky you should consider going to bed earlier.” She isn’t in the mood to deal with her sour attitude so early in the morning.

Boscha rolls here grayish blue eyes and goes inside the changing room. “Whatever.”

Almost the entire floor is made up of practice rooms, all identical. Brown wooden floor, long mirrors on the walls as if they were wallpaper, and bright stage lights hanging on the ceiling. There’s also a ballet bar along the length of the room, though it doesn’t get used very often. The wall with the door is the only one without mirrors, instead it has a wall going up a few feet, the rest is windows.

No one else is in the room when she enters. She flips the lightswitch on with a click and sets her belongings along the back wall.

The room lights up, revealing Amity, alone, in the back of the spacious room. Even when the other four members and their instructor are present, the room feels beyond empty. 

Back when she was an idol in training the room always felt so lively, full of young girls learning dance routines and singing. Now it’s populated by a group of teens who lack the same energy they did years ago.

Stifling a yawn she moves closer to the front to begin to stretch. Doing so almost first thing in the morning is always painful; her body hasn’t gotten a chance to be used much. All her muscles are tight and stiff.

Yesterday was the final day of her first year of high school. So here she is, a fifteen year old, spending her first day of summer break training. 

Slowly everyone else trickles into the room, stretching and gossiping among themselves. Amity doesn’t make much of an effort to join in nor do the girls make much of an effort to include her.

Amity can feel Boscha staring daggers into her back.

“Good morning, girls,” a voice calls out from behind them. A tall woman, with long, straight black hair enters the room, emitting an air of confidence. 

“Good morning, Lilith,” the teens echo.

Lilith Clawthorne is one of the producers at Coven Agency and the one in charge of Amity’s group. Cold, strict, and detail oriented, Amity despises her. 

She knows that she was an idol back in her day. A famous one, too. Lilith knows exactly what she’s doing, how to train idols to become the best of the best, and was the one to scout Amity during auditions, years ago.

“Congratulations on completing your first year of high school. Now, I’m sure you’re all aware of the auditions we will be holding this coming week to scout for potential additions to our agency. This year we’re changing the final stage of the audition a bit.” She scans the room, seeming unfazed by the five surprised faces looking at her. 

As long as Amity has been here, the auditions were always the same. Split into seven age categories, each group has to learn the choreography and lyrics to two songs. One is a solo, the other is a duet, done by two girls being paired together.

That is, if they can pass the first stage. The first two days are spent training their voices and bodies, their abilities being evaluated. Those who already meet the desired level or show promising improvement are selected to move on.

“Instead of the auditionees performing the duet of stage two together, we will be pairing them with idols here at this agency instead. You will be paired with one or two girls on Thursday, depending on how many pass.”

A girl with hair in a fluffy ponytail raises her hand. “Yes, Skara?”

“Do we get to rehearse with them beforehand?”

“Ah, a good question. No, you will not. You meet each other briefly on Thursday and perform on Friday.” Lilith tucks her clipboard under an arm and folds her hands together. “Yes, Boscha?”

“So like, why are we suddenly doing this? Doesn’t that just make everything take twice as long?” she asks, lying on the floor while propped up on her elbows. 

Lilith sighs at the teen’s lack of manners. “We wish to see how these girls perform along with someone who already has experience. Last year we had quite a few we had to let go shortly after they had been scouted because they were unable to meet our standards.” She shakes her head. “That was a lot of wasted time that instead could have been used for things that didn’t end up being utter disappointments.”

Amity suppresses the anger rising in her chest. This is why she can’t stand Lilith anymore. She’s condescending to everyone she feels is below her. Which includes her and the others, just to a lesser degree. Not even they are spared from her unnecessarily harsh comments.

“Now, let’s get warmed up.”

~~~

The clock reads 3:24 when Amity gets back home. Her siblings are nowhere to be seen but she’s too exhausted to care where they are at the moment. 

She grabs a popsicle from the freezer and flops onto the couch, turning the TV on. The artificial cherry flavor invades her taste buds and she’s glad to finally have something with added sugar today. After flipping through channels for a bit she settles on a cartoon that aired a few years prior.

Amity loves being an idol, she really does. Being scouted when she was ten was a dream come true and to this day it still feels surreal.

Coven Agency allows girls ages ten and up to audition every year, but those accepted usually spend a while training before being assigned to a group, especially if they’re under the age of twelve. For one reason or another, twelve is the minimum age for a debut at their agency.

Until then she spent that year and a half learning how to properly sing and dance among a modge podge of other idol related things, such as modeling for photoshoots and how to give good answers for interviews. Occasionally the girls in waiting got to perform as a large group at events. Those always filled Amity up with a joy nothing else has been able to replicate.

The only downside was the agency makes the groups themselves. She didn’t get a say in who she was with, and of course it was just her luck she was with Boscha. 

From the very first day, back as ten year olds, she knew Boscha hated her. It only got worse the older they became, and with Amity replacing her as the center for the last year, it escalated even further. 

The rest of her group is nice, though they’ve been wrapped around Boscha’s thumb for ages. Whatever she says they’ll do, even with her being stripped of her center rank. Even if it’s alienating Amity from them. 

Thanks to her, the unparalleled joy she gets from being an idol has nearly fizzled out. Practice and rehearsal is hell, not to mention group work they have together. Photo shoots where they pose together are hell, group interviews are hell. Even being in the same room as her is hell. Hours upon hours of a smiling mask and faked friendship, pretending that they can stand each other.

The only time that joy returns is when she’s performing in front of a crowd. But that’s rare, maybe once or twice every two months.

She wants that back, to feel happy all the time.

How is she supposed to make others happy if she herself isn’t?

  
  


A finger poking her cheek wakes her up out of what was a very pleasant nap. Amity lazily swats at it as she pulls herself back into the land of the awake.

“It’s 5:30, have you eaten yet?” her older sister asks. When Amity cracks open her eyes she finds a pair of amber ones staring back at her.

“No,” she replies with a yawn that leaves tears at the corners of her eyes. “I think I fell asleep shortly after I came home. Where were you, Emira?”

Emira ruffles her hair. Usually Amity would try to make her stop, but she’s tired and a bit lonely and honestly, it feels rather nice. “Out getting groceries since we were getting low. Want us to make dinner for you?”

Nodding, she sits up and stretches her limbs out a little. Her sister leaves to go to the kitchen and she watches as she says something to her brother. WIth her parents more often out of the house on business trips than not, her siblings have had to step up and care for her as guardians.

They do a really good job at it, too. Always making sure she’s up and ready for school or idol work, always fed, and always with anything she could possibly need. They always come to her events, whether it be a small performance or a larger one. They’re the ones who convinced their parents to let Amity take a shot at being an idol.

Better than her actual parents ever did.

“Do you want me to help?” She calls out from the couch.

“Only if you want to,” Edric, her older brother, replies. “You looked really tired so you can just lie there until it’s ready.”

She goes to help anyways, being tasked with setting the table. Dinner is ready shortly, the twins making sandwiches for the three of them along with sliced fruit. Amity sips at her chocolate oat milk. She really appreciates them going out of their way to make homemade meals most days. And for tracking down the milk she likes, only a few stores in the city has it.

“So how was practice today, Mittens?” Edric asks from across the table. “Must’ve been tough if you fell asleep on the couch.”

“I think it was the heat outside that actually made me sleepy. Practice was normal.”

Emira takes a bite from an apple slice, chewing and swallowing before she joins in. “Yeah, it was awful out there. Does Boscha still hate your guts and does Lilith still have a stick up her ass?”

“Yes and yes. Boscha is still trying to get her role as center back, as if I was the one who took it from her in the first place,” she says with an exaggerated eye roll. “Lilith made the final decision. I didn’t even want to be center but I was the only one in the group qualified for the position. Not my fault the fans didn’t seem to be taking her too well and we needed a replacement.”

Amity bites into an apple slice herself and silence falls over them. She tells her siblings almost everything. What’s bothering her, if she’s having trouble with an assignment at school, and if she’s feeling even the slightest bit ill. The one thing she hasn’t told them is how unhappy she is with her group.

“Lilith told us today they’re changing part of the auditions the agency is holding next week.”

Both twins raise an eyebrow simultaneously.

“Instead of performing the duet with another girl auditioning they’re having us pair with one. Something about ‘weeding out the disappointments’,” Amity sighs. 

“Hey, maybe you’ll become friends with the girl they pair you with,” Edric suggests hopefully.

Amity only hums in response as she picks her half eaten sandwich back up.

Maybe.

~~~

Monday morning just outside the train station, Amity passes by a girl looking lost. She appears to be of her own age and height, glancing around and then at her phone. Before she can see what the matter is, the girl comes up to her instead.

“Hi! Can you tell me how to get to Coven Agency? My maps app isn’t working,” she says, a cheerful smile on her face.

Amity blinks. That’s an unusual destination, especially so early in the morning. “Co… Oh, are you auditioning this week? I’m on my way there, I’d be happy to show you the way.”

The girl’s face lights up. “Thank you, and I am! Are you auditioning too?”

She shakes her head. “I already auditioned and passed five years ago. I’m an idol there,” Amity explains.

“Really?” the stranger asks with a gasp. “That’s so cool! Are the auditions really as hard as everyone says””

The girl starts following her down the sidewalk after Amity beckons for her. “Yeah, they’re pretty difficult. But,” she glances to her side with a smile, “I can tell you a little secret that no one seems to have picked up on yet.”

The wide eyes and excited nodding are a clear answer. “They’re looking for people with potential. An ‘idol presence’, if you will. Dancing and singing abiling can improve over time but that doesn’t. You either have it or you don’t. So long as you get through the first stage you’re almost guaranteed to be scouted.”

“Do you think I have that potential?” the girl asks with no hesitation.

“Hmm,” Amity looks the girl up and down. She’s cute and thin, with short dark hair and light brown skin. She walks and talks and moves about with an infectious energy. “We just met and I’m not a judge so I don’t know what exactly they’re looking for, but… I think you might, actually. Uh, what’s your name?”

“Ah! Luz, my name is Luz! Luz Noceda! Uh, should I shake your hand, or…” Luz trails off.

Amity waves her hand. “I may be an idol, but we’re the same age. Not even a very popular one. I’m Amity, by the way. Nice to meet you, Luz.”

Squealing, Luz bounces. “I’m even more excited now! You, this cute idol girl I just so happened to bump into, thinks that I, an average teenager, has the sought after ‘idol presence’?” She turns around and laces her hands together behind her back, walking backwards. “Simply because you believe in me, I’m going to make sure I pass both stages. That’s a promise.”

She can’t help but laugh. “I’m holding you onto that, Luz.”

They talk more on the walk to the agency. Amity learns that Luz is from the suburbs outside the city and that they are indeed the same age, only a few months apart. She’s an only child with a single parent, her mom, who works as a nurse.

“So I wanna become an idol partially to take the burden of working so much off of my mom, at least a little. And also because I’ve always admired idols and the joy they bring their fans. I want to be able to do that for other people, too. To make them happy and forget about their worries for a while.”

_That’s the same as me_ , Amity realizes. _She wants to make other people happy. Just like me._

Luz seems to genuinely mean it, too. Her eyes sparkle and she wears a small smile with an expression Amity recognizes. One her group members have never had.

“Oh, we’re here already?”

The large, impressive looking building with a sign that proudly reads ‘Coven Agency’ lies in front of them. Sleek and modern even around the other skyscrapers, it’s hard to miss.

“I guess we are. There should be some signs inside telling you where to go. Good luck, Luz.” She waves with a smile and takes three steps before being called out to again.

“Sorry, but do you think you could write the directions from the station to here in my phone for me? I know I’m going to have trouble finding my way back,” she says shyly, one hand around her phone and the other rubbing the back of her neck. “I don’t want to spend my allowance on a taxi to get back home again.”

Amity types the directions in and hands the phone back, looking at the cute case she has. Blue with rubber bat wings on each side and a little face printed on the back. It looks kind of like a Pokemon and it suits her perfectly. “Here you go.”

“You’re a lifesaver! Thank you, Amity.” Luz sighs with relief, sticking her phone in her back pocket.

Giggling, Amity tucks some hair behind her ear. “It’s no problem. This part of the city is pretty confusing, even for me. And I’ve lived here my whole life.”

With another wave they spit up, going opposite ways once inside the building. She’s happily humming the entire way up to the changing room, where Boscha is waiting for her.

“Wipe that dumb smile off of your face, Blight. Who was that girl you were talking to outside the building, huh? Last time I checked you don’t have any friends.” The taller girl crosses her arms, staring accusingly.

“It’s really none of your damn business. But, since you seem so adamant about getting an answer,” she gestures to Boscha leaning against the door, “she needed directions. I was already on my way here so I offered to let her come with me. Satisfied?”

Boscha inspects her nails, pointedly not making any eye contact. “Why did you seem so happy then?”

Amity groans. “Because she was nice, Boscha. Unlike you. Now, can you please step aside so I can get changed?”

A few seconds into an uncomfortable stare off, she moves, muttering under her breath.

~~~

Practice the next two days consists of mostly rehearsing songs to make sure they still have them memorized. It’s boring, but getting to run though a whole song without being interrupted makes her enjoy her time spent there a little more.

Early evening on Tuesday Amity is at the library, idly browsing through the shelves. Work has her too physically exhausted to be able to go out and enjoy things most days, so she relies heavily on books to entertain herself at home.

Putting a book with a pretty lilac cover back in its place, Amity gives up trying to find novels with interesting plots and decides to look through the manga aisle. A familiar voice catches her attention when she’s just around the corner, and after peering over she confirms who it belongs to.

“Luz?”

The short haired girl looks over and a huge smile spreads across her face. “Amity!” She shoves the volume she was inspecting back on the shelf and runs over. “What are you doing here?”

“Looking for things to read, since this is, you know, a library,” she says, Luz’s infectious energy causing her to smile too. “I got bored of reading the same ones over and over at home so here I am.”

Luz facepalms herself. “Ugh, of course you are! That was a dumb question to ask, wasn’t it. I’m here for books too. Obviously.”

Amity giggles, to her own surprise. “Oh, did you pass the first stage? The auditions were already over for the day by the time I left.”

With a smirk, Luz places a hand under her chin and poses. “I promised you I would, didn’t I? One of 35 or so total, I think. Top 20%, baby!” She pumps her fists. “Just the solo and duet left.”

“Have they told you how that’s going to work yet?” 

Luz shakes her head. “Nope, but based off of what I read online I’m paired with someone else auditioning, right?”

“Actually,” Amity starts, glancing around them before leaning in closer, lowering her voice. “I’m not sure if I’m allowed to tell you this, but they’re changing that part this year. You have to do the duet with an idol from the agency.”

The smile on the shorter girl’s face falters slightly. “Huh, well that makes it more intimidating.”

“You have a chance of being paired with someone from my group, though. Lilith said a total of three groups are going to be helping the 14-15 age range and mine was one of them.” Luz’s brow furrows for a moment before realization hits her.

“Lilith… oh, you mean Lilith Clawthorne. Her old songs play on the radio all the time. Though,” she tilts her head, ”I never asked which group you belong to.”

Amity keeps her smile on her face even though the last thing she wants to do is bring up her group. “Witch Chicks.”

Realization crosses Luz’s face again and here eyes widen as she suppresses a squeal. “Oh my god I absolutely love your group and I swear I didn’t recognize you earlier,” she gets out all in one breath.

“I’m glad Witch Chicks has at least one fan,” Amity chuckles. “Our popularity may have gone up when Lilith had me replace Boscha as center, but we’re still relatively unknown. I also cut a lot of my hair off recently.” 

“Ooh, that’s why! It looks really nice that length,” the other girl says with a snap of her fingers.

Rubbing her arm, Amity remembers they’re at the library. “Thanks. Uh, do you think you could recommend some books to me? I can’t find anything that looks interesting.”

She does need reading material, that’s true, but she also wants an excuse to keep talking to Luz.

“Yes, yes I can. FIrst things first, what genres do you like?”

They start walking back to the young adult fiction section. “Hm, I guess I mostly read fantasy, romance, and slice of life? I’ll read anything though.”

Luz claps her hands together and grabs one of Amity’s hands, pulling her over to a bookcase. She reaches up and grabs a thick hardcover novel, handing it over to her. “You’d love this.”

It’s the first book in _The Good Witch Azura_ series. “You’re right,” she says, catching Luz’s attention. “I do love it, because this is my favorite book series.”

“Wait, are you serious?”

“As serious as Azura was when she challenged Hecate to a witch’s duel at the Bog of Immediate Regret,” Amity replies with a smirk.

Taking a deep breath, Luz puts her hands together and points them over to the taller girl. “Not to sound overdramatic or anything, but you’re now literally my favorite person ever.”

The girls spend the next hour talking about T _he Good Witch Azura_ after Luz recommends some things that Amity hasn’t read before. She hasn’t felt this happy while talking to someone in a long time, she realizes. Not someone that isn’t related to her, at least. Let alone click so easily, as if they’ve known each other for years.

The light outside a nearby window casts an orange light into the library, reminding them that it’s evening.

“Ah, I should probably get to the station before it gets too dark out.” Luz stands up and picks up the stack of books next to her, pushing her chair in with her hip.

Amity stands up too. “I should get home as well, my siblings are probably waiting for me before they have dinner. I can walk down with you, if you want.” Does she want to spend a little more time with her? Maybe.

“Yes please!” Luz exclaims, jumping up and down while holding six books in her arms. They check out and leave the cool air behind, entering the warmth of the outside world. 

“Hey Amity,” Luz begins to say, playing with the strap of her satchel. “If it’s alright with you, can I, uh, maybe have your phone number? In case I don’t get scouted so I have a way to contact you, since we’re friends now.” She stops, looking at Amity worryingly. “We are friends, right?”

“Of course we are,” Amity says as she places a hand on Luz’s shoulder to reassure her. “I wouldn’t have stuck around if we weren’t, after all.”

Luz laughs and looks up at the sky. “I can’t believe someone as cool as you likes the same fantasy novels with convoluted backstories I do.”

“Trust me, I’m really not that cool. That’s just my idol persona, I suppose. I’m actually just dork. The whole theme of WItch Chicks are mysterious, withdrawn witch girls.” She hums, eyes drawn to the sunset reflecting in nearby windows. “You know, I still don’t understand how Boscha got away with dying her hair that shade of pink. Screams bitchy more than witchy, in my opinion.”

She slaps a hand over her mouth as soon as the words leave her. Luz seems surprised for a brief moment and then she giggles. “That was a good one. She does look like some sort of cartoon antagonist”

“I didn’t mean to say that, I swear. Please don’t let anyone know that I did.” Amity pleads while trying to hold back her laughter. Little does Luz know, Boscha quite literally is the antagonist in her life.

Zipping her mouth shut, Luz winks. “It’s a secret just between you and me, promise.”

Amity breathes a sigh of relief and runs a hand over her hair. “When you get scouted I can tell you more drama that happens behind the scenes. There’s always drama at idol agencies, no exceptions. You better be prepared for that.”

Luz grins widely. “You said ‘when’, not ‘if’,” she says, voice thick with emotion. “You believe in me!”

“You promised me you’d make it in, remember? Even if you didn’t I really do believe you have a very good chance of passing anyways.” Pulling out her phone she checks the time as they reach their destination. “My train leaves in two minutes, I should get going before I miss it. But first put your number in here, I’ll text you on the train.” Luz does so and hands her phone back, beaming. “Bye Luz, and good luck!”

Her heart is racing as she sees Luz wave goodbye, a feeling of giddiness coursing through her veins. She makes it on seconds before the doors close and takes a seat in the nearest empty spot. 

[Amity]: you really put your contact name as Luzura?

[Amity]: why am I not surprised

[Luzura]: this would be amity I presume but yes

[Luzura]: yes I did

[Amity]: I know I called myself a dork but you’re an even bigger one 

[Luzura]: but I’m an adorable dork uwu

[Amity]: did you just uwu me

[Luzura]: uwu

[Amity]: you’re being stripped of your Luzura title

[Luz]: you may strip me on my title but you won’t strip me of my pride!

[Luz]: I will always be luzura at heart nothing can ever change that

[Amity]: I

[Amity]: my siblings would absolutely love you

[Luz]: you mentioned siblings but never said anything more

[Luz]: I’m an only child so please share

Amity starts typing a response, but the train slows to a halt and when she glances up, she can see it’s her stop. She grabs her bag from the seat next to her and steps out onto the platform.

[Amity]: I just arrived at my stop

[Amity]: give me a moment to get home

[Luz]: already????? My train isn’t even here yet

[Amity]: it only takes 20 minutes for me to get from my house to the agency

[Luz]: ok miss city girl

[Amity]: uwu

[Luz]: WHY DID YOU GET MAD FOR ME UWUING YOU WHEN YOU JUST UWUD ME

[Amity]: can’t type and walk at night byeeeee

Slipping her phone into her pocket she giggles as she starts her four block walk home. If it were any darker Edric and Emira would’ve gone to the station to pick her up personally. Nighttime in a city is dangerous, especially for lone minors.

Edric is sprawled out on the couch when she opens the front door. “Hey Mittens, how was the library?”

“Full of books, as always,” she says, putting her bag down. “Sorry I didn’t tell you I was staying later, I lost track of time.”

Emira steps out of the kitchen, holding a bowl of pasta in her hands. “You’re just in time for dinner. What were you so preoccupied with, some romance novel?”

Amity hesitates, unsure if she should keep Luz a secret for the time being. She hasn’t had a friend in ages, so them knowing she has one will let them stop worrying so much. They’re going to pick up on their little sister being happier than normal eventually, better to tell them it’s a friend now instead of them assuming it’s a boyfriend later on. “No, I was talking to someone.”

Her sister raises her eyebrows. “You, talking to someone? And for more than just a few seconds? Tell us all about this mysterious stranger.” She sits at the table and props her chin on her hands.

“Yeah, tell us!” Edric heaves himself off of the couch and sits next to his twin, mirroring her.

“Fine, I’ll tell you, but only because you’ll find out about her anyways. She’s a girl I met Monday on the way to Coven Agency when she stopped me to ask for directions. Turns out she was auditioning and had gotten lost, so I let her come with me. And then she was at the library today and we talked. The end.”

“Hey Ed,” Emira starts.

“Hey Em,” Edric replies.

“Do you think that maybe-”

“Mittens finally made a friend?”

“Oh, absolutely.” She turns to face her younger sister, who had taken a seat during her story and now looks exasperated. “So, Mittens, do you wanna invite your friend out to dinner with us on Friday? Tell her it’s our treat.”

Amity just blinks at her.

“Ooh, that’s a great idea. We can meet the girl you like enough to make you turn pink like that.”

“What do you-” she presses a hand against her face and can feel she’s blushing, hard. “It’s not that kind of like, you idiot! We’re just friends, she said so herself. And I’ve known her for only two days.”

Her brother smirks and starts putting food on his plate. “Sure, whatever you say. Tell us more about her though, all we know is she’s a girl and she’s somehow managed to befriend such an introverted bookworm.”

Groaning, Amity stabs a noodle with her fork. “Her name is Luz, she’s my age, from the suburbs just outside the city, and likes the same books I do. Is that good enough for you?”

Emira hums. “For now. One last question, though. Did she pass the first part of the auditions today?”

She nods, a smile forming without her realizing it.

“If you see something in her then she’s sure to get scouted. Maybe you can convince Lilith to remove you from Witch Chicks so you can make a unit with her,” she jokes.

Amity rolls her eyes and stabs several more noodles. “Sure, Lilith will totally let her center leave to form a duo with the new girl. Sounds totally plausible to me.”

Her phone buzzing in her pocket reminds her that she kind of left Luz mid-text.

[Luz]: hey hey little miss idol I did the math and you should’ve been home by now

[Amity]: I am, sorry

[Amity]: my siblings were being annoying

[Luz]: oh good you got home safe 

[Luz]: I still have my azura buddy to bounce theories off of

[Amity]: is that all I am to you? I’m hurt

[Amity]: sad uwu

[Amity]: umu

[Luz]: until you tell me about your siblings you are

[Luz]: give this suburban child the deets on the family of an idol pls

“Who’re you texting there, Mittens?”

Amity jumps. She managed to forget that she was at the table, eating dinner. What is it about that girl that makes her forget about her surroundings? “Luz. She wants to know about you two so do me a favor and pose so I can send a picture. Describing you to someone is too difficult.”

They all too eagerly do a silly pose together and Amity rolls her eyes at them again. Emira has her tongue out and is giving Edric bunny ears while he’s making a fish face, complete with hands on his cheeks like fins.

[Amity]: [uploaded img.png]

[Amity]: this is Emira and Edric, my very annoying older siblings

[Luz]: wow it seems your whole family has good genes

[Luz]: WAIT I DIDNT ACTUALLY MEAN TO SEND THAT AIOFGIKASLJFHK

[Amity]: I

[Luz]: oh my god pretend that didn’t happen please I’m begging you

[Luz]: I mean you’re cute so obviously your siblings would be too

[Luz]: I’m really not helping myself here am I

[Amity]: a n y w a y s they’re insisting I ask you to come with us to dinner after auditions on friday

[Amity]: they say it’s their treat

[Luz]: YES

[Luz]: ABSOLUTELY

[Luz]: TELL THEM I SAY YES

[Luz]: but don’t tell them the other thing I said

“She said yes,” she says, suppressing a giggle. The twins high five each other across the table. They totally noticed Amity turn pink halfway though, but the teasing can wait for the time being.

  
  


_”The songs for this year’s audition duets are new,” Lilith explains. “You’re going to be learning one named Rockefeller Street, and eventually it will be assigned and belong to one group.”_

_She hands out lyric sheets to the five of them. Amity scans over it, surprised at how catchy it sounds as she plays it in her head. The music her group gets isn’t bad, per say, it’s just… not quite her style. This one, however, is. She’s itching to sing already._

Lilith claps her hands twice to grab everyone’s attention after they finish their fourth run though in a row. “We’re going to take a small break to pair you up with girls for tomorrow. Come along.” She wastes no time heading to the door, leaving the teens scrambling to grab their water bottles and catch up.

The instrumental and choreography to the song don’t disappoint. For what feels like the first time in forever, Amity is ecstatic and genuinely enjoying herself.

_This would be fun to perform with Luz._

Four rooms down, the one with a sign reading ‘Age Group 14-15 A” taped on the door, holds the eleven girls that passed stage one. Amity immediately spots Luz among them, who lights up when she sees her enter. Boscha is glaring at them both, but she ignores it.

“You can go up to the girl wearing the number I call out along with your name. I’ll give you a few minutes to get to know each other and then we are going to perform once for them, to give them an idea of how professional idols perform. Keep in mind that you’ve all had the same amount of time to learn this song.”

Amity gulps. That last part was never brought up before. Any other time she wouldn’t mind, but Luz is in this room. Something about that makes her heart flutter and stomach twist in knots.

“Kat 44, Skara 63, Amelia 109, Boscha 112, and Amity 128,” Lilith lists off, looking rather bored. “You have three minutes. Go and mingle.”

Luz hops up, the number on the front of her shirt no longer hidden by her knees being held against her chest. There, proudly standing out against the white of the sticker, is the number ‘128’ printed in black ink.

She can’t believe it. She’s actually going to get to perform alongside Luz. It takes all of her self control to keep herself from gawking.

Pushing her excitement aside she walks over to Luz, who is bouncing on the balls of her feet. “Fancy seeing you here, Noceda.”

“Oh my _god_ I can’t believe what good luck I have. If I get to dance with you, I’m absolutely going to pass! Can I hug you? I really wanna hug you,” she says, still vibrating with joy.

“Sure, but I’m a little sweaty-” Luz cuts her off with a hug anyways, one that takes the air out of her lungs. She tells herself it’s because the hug is tight, even though it isn’t.

Luz lets go after a few seconds. “Okay, now that that’s out of the way,” she glances briefly behind her and lowers her voice so only Amity can hear. “Do you know why Boscha is staring daggers at me? I’ve never even spoken to her before.”

Amity sighs and moves so Boscha can only see their backs. “Because she’s always hated me and she knows we know each other. She saw me talking to you Monday morning,” she tells her, voice equally as low. “I’ll tell you more later but for now let’s sit down and talk about something else.”

Understanding, Luz nods and sits on the floor, moving her head along to music that only she can hear. Based off of the tempo, Amity assumes it’s _Rockefeller Street_. It is really catchy, after all.

“So, do you feel ready for tomorrow?” she asks, drumming her fingers on her knee.

“With you as my partner, yes. I am positive that I’m ready. Beyond positive, actually. I’m certain. Wait,” she pauses, clicking her tongue a few times, “those mean the same thing, don’t they.”

“Yeah, they do,” Amity laughs. “You know, that was my number years ago as well.” She points at the sticker on Luz’s shirt.”

Her eyes widen and she looks down, pulling the fabric of her white and lime green striped shirt out a bit. “Really? I’m calling it now, this is fate. No one can tell me otherwise. There’s no way me running into you outside the station and in the library and having the same number is a coincidence.”

Before Amity can respond, Lilith decides that the three minutes are up early. She groans and pushes herself up, joining her group by the mirrors. They get in position, Skara and Boscha on her left, Kat and Amelia on her right.

She has a few seconds to collect herself and not let Luz’s adorable brown eyes watching her with anticipation get to her. 

Wait, adorable? She can unpack that thought later. For now, focus on the song. And also focus on impressing Luz.

The music begins and muscle memory takes over. Three minutes and thirty seconds are over in a flash.

As she holds her pose, chest heaving for air and blood pounding in her ears, all she can see is Luz’s awestruck face.

_I think I impressed her._

_I also think I need to go home and think about some things._


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *pops in after nearly a month* hi I rewrote so much of this so many times and I can't bring myself to edit it any more so here you go uwu
> 
> EDIT: here's the song I forgot to link it earlier https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D3Me6YNe9tg music starts at about 0:26

Amity tosses and turns in bed for a good while, unable to fall asleep. She keeps thinking back to earlier, to those moments when she was within Luz’s vicinity. Why did thinking about her, this girl she’s met three times and all by coincidence, make her stomach swirl with butterflies?

Sure, Luz is incredibly cute, with her thick, fluffy hair and sparkling brown eyes that are always wide with wonder. And with her smile and that infectious joy she always seems to radiate Amity finds herself drawn to her. Being around her for just a few minutes makes her giddy. Hell, just thinking about her makes her giddy

But girls are cute by default, aren’t they? Estrogen is clearly the superior hormone.

She stops her flailing about, staring up at her ceiling. Those thoughts are normal, right? Everyone has them. Everyone thinks girls are cute. Everyone sees a cute girl and immediately has the urge to be hugged by them.

Right?

She may be fifteen already, but she’s never had a crush. When all the girls around her were stuck in their boy crazy phases, Amity never understood. It still doesn’t make sense to her. What part of boys is there to like? They’re not that attractive. There was a while when Boscha had put up a poster of a supposedly ‘hot’ male idol group up in the changing room (Lilith made her take them down as soon as she found out). The other four were practically drooling over it, but Amity? Amity felt uncomfortable. 

Does that mean she’s… not into boys? She’s never liked one, but she’s never liked a girl either. By that logic, she can’t rule anything out. But isn’t straight the default sexuality? Aren’t only one in every ten women into other women or something like that?

Every romance novel she’s read and every romcom she’s seen over the years all describe the same typical symptoms of a crush. Butterflies in your stomach, they’re constantly on your mind, you go out of your way just to catch a glimpse of them. The nervousness when you catch their attention and the electricity when you make even just the smallest amount of physical contact with them.

...Amity can’t exactly rule any of those out concerning Luz.

Huh. Maybe she likes girls.

  
  


The next morning Amity wakes up after her first alarm jolts her out of dreamless sleep. The last thing she remembers is being frustrated at how everything she tried to find online to help her was sexual. She’s only fifteen.

Emira is up and in the kitchen, preparing breakfast for her.

“Hey, sleepyhead,” she calls out when her younger sister comes within view. “You excited for today? We get to meet this mysterious friend of yours after auditions.”

Amity hums, walking past her to get a drink from the fridge. Her inner conversation with herself last night is still in her mind, thanks to how useless Google is. Emira seems to pick up on her younger sister so lost in thought. “Is something bothering you?”

Knowing she’ll be unable to focus at work with something like this on her mind, she opts to ask her sister for some advice. “When am I supposed to know what my sexuality is?” she asks, staring at a container of maple syrup.

Emira replies with no hesitation or surprise in her voice. “It’s different for everyone. Some know when they’re a kid and some don’t until much later. Some people never really know. Why?”

Out of the corner of her eye, she can see Emira looking at her questiongly. “Isn’t straight the default?”

She scoffs, crossing her arms and leaning against the counter. “Not at all. Sure, it takes a man and a woman with functioning parts to procreate, but it’s not the default. That’s just the way religion has managed to shape society,” her sister says. “If kids were raised knowing it’s completely natural to not be into the opposite gender or into more than just the opposite gender, we wouldn’t have the issue of people assuming straight is the default. If there’s no such thing as a gay gene then there’s also no such thing as a straight gene, you know?”

Amity pulls out a carton of oat milk, shutting the fridge. “That makes sense. Thanks,” she says as she pulls out a glass from a nearby cabinet.

“If you’re questioning yourself, you can always talk to me. I’ve been there before and it can be tough to work your way though alone.” Emira smiles at her, returning to preparing breakfast. “I have to be honest though, I thought we would’ve had a conversation like this years ago.

“Are you calling me a late bloomer?” Amity scrunches her nose, giving her a look of mock annoyance.

Her older sister laughs. “No, but I’m surprised with all the romance novels I catch you reading that we haven’t spoken about love like this before.”

The younger girl is silent as she pours her glass and tosses the empty container in recycling, a thought coming to mind. “That might be because literally everything was about a heterosexual relationship from the girl’s perspective,” she starts, walking to the table, “they’re kinda hard to take seriously when you don’t understand what all the hype around boys is about.”

“I don’t understand it either.” Emira sets a plate in front of her, ruffling her hair. “They’re obviously not the cutest gender, just saying.” Amity blinks a few times, her sister smiling at her. “Don’t worry about it, it’ll come to you in time. Now eat your food while it’s still warm.”

Her sister’s words don’t fully set in until she’s already several bites into her toast.

  
  


With her sexuality crisis dealt with for the time being, Amity is practically vibrating with excitement when she gets to the agency. She gets to perform, with Luz, later today. And then gets to see her again for dinner. 

Of course, Boscha is waiting there for her.

She simply pays her no mind, refusing to let her ruin her good mood. Her groupmate has other ideas, however, and grabs her roughly by the shoulder.

Amity sighs and turns to face her. “Can I help you with something, Boscha?”

“Yeah, you can actually.” She lets go and turns her hand over to inspect her nails. “What’s up with you and that girl you got paired with? You seem to know each other, so who is she?”

“Well, as I said before, it’s really none of your damn business. But, since you seem so hung up on her, she’s a friend.”

Boscha sneers slightly. “It is my business, actually. What is she to you, Blight?”

“And how is who I hang out with in my personal time any of your business? You never cared before, so I don’t know why the hell you care so much now. She’s our age and auditioning here. It’s not like she poses any sort of threat against anyone,” she says harshly, tired of the pink haired girl’s attitude. “Sure, she may end up joining the agency today, but you need to be a judge of her character _after_ you get a chance to know her. Because, unlike you, she’s actually a very nice person.”

WIth that, she turns on her heel and walks briskly to the changing room. Boscha growls behind her. That’s hopefully enough to get her to leave her alone for the rest of the day.

Finally, several hours of Boscha burning holes into her back later, Lilith lines everyone up and leads them to the auditorium. It’s almost audition time.

Her lips are pressed into a thin line as she walks curtly down the hallway. “You will be waiting outside the auditorium until it is your turn to perform with your assigned partner. Our judges, myself included, will be inside evaluating everyone. We have… a new producer that will be joining us from now on.” She sounds especially annoyed at this particular tidbit of information but offers no further insight. More annoyed than usual, at least. “You are free to go home once you are done. We will be back to our usual routine beginning next week.”

Lilith leaves the girls without another word, the group of five now alone with the other group helping out. The Banshees, if Amity recalls correctly. Everyone but she and Boscha intermingle with them: Boscha because she’s still sulking, and Amity because she’s essentially freaking out inside.

One by one, all the other girls are called out to the stage, roughly eight minutes apart. The bass from the audition songs are audible from outside, though muffled and reduced to more of a constant thumping that Amity can feel in her core.

Instead of waiting until it’s her turn by panicking inside, she walks up and down the walls, looking at the photographs hung up. She stops at one in particular, of Witch Chicks right after their formation. Amity is positioned between Boscha and Skara, joy easily readable on her face. She looks… happy.

That photo was taken a few months before Lilith suggested that the girls dye their hair, to match the image she wanted the unit to portray. That was the last time her hair had ever been it’s full, natural color. She misses it, the light brown that shone golden in the sun.

A young staff member opens the back door to the right wing of the stage, motioning for her to come inside.

It’s time.

She’s directed to walk to the spot marked with pink tape on the floor after an earpiece microphone is securely attached. Luz is to her left, chest heaving slightly and face pinkened. The girl flashes a smile as she walks up.

Amity shoves the flutters she feels rising inside her back down as she smiles back. She’s here to perform, not get distracted by cute girls. There’s plenty of time to do that later.

She doesn’t get a chance to catch a glimpse of the new producer before Lilith signals that they’re ready to begin. The music starts and they begin to dance, slowly at first but faster as the tempo picks up. Luz has the first few lines of lyrics before they switch off for a bit and ultimately join together.

Nothing could have prepared Amity for how utterly angelic Luz sounds. 

Somehow, in all her worrying, she never once realized she was going to have to sing with Luz. That she’d get to hear her do more than just speak normally. And now here she is, completely taken aback, her voice lighting a fire within her that she thought had been extinguished forever.

With renewed vigor she pours her heart and every fiber of her being into the three and a half minute long performance, adrenaline coursing through her veins as their voices intertwine, calling out into the room. They mesh so easily, as if they’ve been doing this together forever.

A genuine, ecstatic smile spreads across her face as their bodies move closer, following the choreography. She can hear the joy in her voice, in Luz’s voice, and feels it in their movement. 

During a lull in the song, they walk circles around each other, stepping along to the beat, eyes locked together. The intensity in the air around them is like electricity, shocking and thrilling and making Amity feel like she’s never been more alive.

Next thing she knows the music has ended and the duo stands there, silence filling

Amity holds her ending pose, panting, unable to wipe off her smile. Sweat drips down her brow and her face is flushed, she can feel it, but she feels absolutely invincible. This is what she was aiming for when she decided to become an idol.

Performing with her group, girls she’s known for years, never leaves her feeling like this. Yet with Luz, performing with her for the first time ever, leaves her feeling on top of the world.

The row of judges, who she can just barely make out through the glare of the spotlight, are writing on their clipboards. On the far left is a woman she’s never seen before, with a mane of fiery orange hair. It could be her imagination, but she swears this woman is looking at the pair on stage, hair placed on her chin thoughtfully.

“Thank you, you may exit the stage now.” Lilith almost sounds impressed, but again, it could be her imagination. Very little impresses Lilith.

The second they’re backstage, Luz squeals and throws herself at Amity for a hug. She gladly accepts and returns the gesture, giggling. Luz pulls back after a moment, hands lingering on her shoulders. “That was absolutely _incredible_ , Amity. I just, wow. I have no words.”

“You were amazing as well,” Amity says as she pulls her microphone off and hands it to the staff. Luz does the same, following her out the door. “Have you ever had professional training before?”

She shakes her head, the ends of her hair curling slightly from sweating so much. “All self taught, baby.” With a click of her tongue she shoots two finger guns at her. “I took dance lessons for a short while, but that ended up not really being my thing.”

“If you’re this good already, you’re absolutely going to be scouted. You have this…” Amity waves her hands around as if she’s trying to manifest an object out of thin air, “energy to you that I haven’t felt with anyone else I’ve performed with.”

“Aww, Amity, are you this soft on all the girls you audition with?” Luz spins on her heel to walk backwards, hands behind her back. “Or just me?”

The taller girl laughs, putting a hand under her chin. “This is the first time auditions happened like this, remember? So, technically, just you.” Her eyes soften as she meets her warm gaze. “But I do really mean what I said. You were amazing out there. Better than a lot of the current idols here.”

Luz blushes. Or it could be that she’s still flushed from singing and dancing, but Amity chooses to believe she’s blushing. Thinking that she’s the reason she’s turned pink makes her insides feel fuzzy and she isn’t quite ready for her adrenaline high to die down just yet.

“W-well, I should go wait where they’re going to be posting the results. See you later!” She tries to walk off, but Amity tugs at her sleeve.

“Wait, I’m coming with you.”

Luz stops and blinks a few times. “Really? You don’t have to.”

“No, but I want to,” Amity waves her hand. “I’m too invested at this point to not be there when you’re scouted.”

“You really are soft on me, aren’t you?” She winks, grabbing her wrist and pulling her in the direction of the lounge.

It’s warm, soft, and sends electricity running up her arm.

All the other idols seem to have left to go home, as only ten nervous looking girls are scattered in the lounge. They glance at them briefly as they enter the area but go back to meandering about the lounge as soon as they realize they aren’t who they were expecting. Luz plops down on a couch, swinging her legs. “Do you have any plans after this?”

“Hm? No, just the thing with you for dinner.”

“You should totally come to my house then! My mom still doesn’t quite believe I made a friend here already.” She grips the edge of the cushion, leaning forwards with an excited glimmer in her eyes.

“I- Are you sure?” Amity stutters. “I mean, the twins didn’t quite believe it when I said I had a friend either, which is why they insisted on inviting you to dinner with us. So I understand that part, but are you sure you really want me to come over?”

Luz grabs her arm, sending more electricity running up her skin. “Yes, I’m absolutely sure!” she exclaims. Blushing at her outburst, she lets go and Amity wants to tell her to keep touching her, but that would be weird. “Only if you want to come, of course, no pressure. And sorry for touching you so much, I’m really excited and I don’t know your limits yet. Have I talked too much? I probably have-”

Heels clicking against the tile floor and echoing into the room interrupt whatever tangent Luz was about to go off on. Amity turns to see that same orange haired woman walking toward them, paper in hand. She holds herself up with confidence, a grin on her lips.

“Alright, kiddos, I have your results here in my hand! If you didn’t realize, I was one of the judges in the auditorium. Can’t blame ya if you couldn’t see me though, those lights are somethin’ else.” She snorts and then smirks, placing a hand on her hip. “You can call me Eda.” 

“So, before these results, I wanted to say you all did a very good job but unfortunately _someone_ ,” Eda rolls her eyes, “limited this group’s final cut to only four of you.”

Luz may have been the one who auditioned, but Amity’s nerves are racing and she doesn’t even realize she’s squeezing Luz’s hand, let alone that Luz is squeezing back.

“If I call your audition number, please stay after so I can discuss what’s gonna happen next. Let’s see… Congratulations to those of you with the numbers 44, 63, 79, and…”

Both girls’ breath catch in their throat as Eda pauses before the last number. “128,” she says, looking directly at the pair with what Amity swears is a wink.

There’s a moment of silence before Luz hops onto her feet, bouncing from foot to foot as she squeals. “Yes yes yes yes _yes!_ ” She throws her arms around Amity, who is more than willing to return the gesture. “I don’t think I could’ve done so well without you.”

“All I did was dance next to you for a few minutes,” Amity giggles. “Anyone else could’ve done that.”

Her grip falls down to her arms and Luz pulls back to look her in the face “But it’s because it was _you_!” she says, eyes shining. 

Amity gulps. Their faces are only a few inches apart and Luz is even cuter up close. She didn’t know that was possible. That thought aside, did Luz feel the same intensity that Amity felt earlier? She opens her mouth to ask, but Eda calling out ruins the moment.

They go to the group of the other scouted girls and the woman, surprisingly tall, smiles at them. “Congrats! You did real good if you got into a company as prissy as this one. Now, someone’s gonna call you this weekend about starting your official idol training here. Since you’re all over the age of twelve you won’t be stuck in training purgatory,” she laughs, “but you will be training for at least a month before we can put you in a unit. Any questions?”

Everyone shakes their heads. “Alright, that's all I wanted to say. Go out and enjoy your youth.” She shoos everyone away and Luz and Amity turn to leave. “I wanna have a word with you two though.”

Amity worries for a moment she did something wrong. Should she not have stayed with Luz? Lilith never mentioned anything about hearing the results.

“Good job kid,” she says to Luz, “you were the best one out of the lot! And you,” she shifts her attention over, “how is it having my prissy older sister as your producer? That can’t be fun.”

“Sister?” Amity mutters as she furrows her brow slightly. “Oh! You’re Edalyn Clawthorne, aren’t you?”

“Impressive,” Eda raises an eyebrow. “But yes, the would have been greatest idol in the city, in the flesh! Edalyn Clawthorne, Coven Agency’s newest producer. Nice to meet you kids.” She sticks out a hand.

Amity shakes it, firmly like it’s been drilling into her mind. “Uh, having Lilith as a producer is, um, nice? She knows what she’s doing”

Eda snorts again, moving her hand over to let Luz shake it. “You don’t like her a whole lot, do you?”

She shakes her head. “Uh, you won’t tell Lilith I said that, will you?

“Don’t worry, your secret is safe with me. She wouldn’t believe me even if I did tell her, anyways. Lily wasn’t always the most personable or empathetic person, so no surprise there. Anyway, I have a proposition for you.”

Blinking once, then twice, Amity looks at Luz, who seems just as confused as she is.

“Now, I may have only been an active idol for a very short time, but I know when I see something special. You two have a connection when you’re performing together. Like your souls are becoming one with the music and each other.”

Sighing, Eda runs a hand through her hair. “What I’m trying to say is I know you’re already in a group. You don’t like Lilith, and, to be honest, you don’t mesh well with those girls. Especially that one with the pink hair.”

“I- uh,” Amity stutters, wringing her hands together. How did she know this? How did she know what’s been bothering her for so long that no one else managed to pick up on?

“Let me cut to the chase. I want to take you out of your unit to make a duo with you and Luz, if you’re willing.”

Her eyes widen. Again, this woman has managed to read her mind and she’s beginning to think she’s telepathic. 

“You don’t have to give me an answer right now, of course. I did kinda just spring it on y-“

“I’ll do it.”

Eda looks surprised. “I said you can take your time to think about it, kid. Are you sure?”

She raises her gaze from the floor up to meet her shocking yellow eyes. “I want to do it.”

She’s only known Luz since Monday and only spent only a couple hours with her at most. But even then, the audition brought back the spark, the joy she’s been searching for for so long. 

Now that it’s back, she wants to grab it and never let go. Screw Witch Chicks and screw being the center that she never asked to be.

It’s time for a change.

~~~

The warm summer breeze greets Amity as she steps out of the train and onto the platform. Luz is right behind her, dashing in front to throw her arms out. “Welcome to where I’m from, Lake Lacuna!”

Behind, the train doors close with a hiss and seconds later it begins to chug away from the small station. Luz pulls her off the platform and onto the sidewalk. With the deafening roar of the train gone, Amity finds that it’s surprisingly peaceful here. There’s no constant bustle of traffic or crowds of people or blaring lights everywhere she goes.

“It’s pretty here,” she says, looking around in wonder. For being a suburb outside the city, there’s an astonishing amount of greenery around her.

Places only a few miles away had a tendency to be rather dingy, or so she’s heard. This is her first time actually stepping foot in one.

“Isn’t it? Come, my mom is probably making lunch soon and you have got to be hungry. I can take you sightseeing after!”

She follows the girl down a path, walking side by side. “Is there really sightseeing to do in a suburb?”

Luz laughs, playfully nudging Amity in the side. “Of course there is, city girl. We might not have buildings as impressive as in Bonesborough, but there _are_ interesting things here. There’s the lake the town is named after, the park—which is really pretty, by the way, that neighbor that has like a dozen birdhouses in their front yard, lots of stuff. There’s a forest we can explore too.”

Amity’s eyes light up at the mention of a forest and Luz snickers. She blushes, rather embarrassed, and crosses her arms. “Is it so bad I’ve always wanted to explore a forest before? Cities don’t exactly have those.”

“No, I just think it’s cute. You’re like a lil’ woodland creature. Like a squirrel or something.”

Blushing furiously, Amity puffs up her cheeks and averts her gaze to the sidewalk. Anywhere else but the girl next to her. Her embarrassment has shifted to something much more pleasant, a warm feeling flooding her chest.

_Luz called me cute. Oh my god, Luz called me cute._

The sheer number of butterflies flying around in her stomach, paired with the intense heat spread across her face and warmth in her chest, cause a thought to metaphorically slap Amity in the face.

_Oh god, I think I have a crush on Luz._

“Earth to Amity~” A hand waving in front of her brings her back to reality and she snaps her attention to the body the hand belongs to. “Ah! Sorry, did I scare you?

Amity shakes her head. “No, I was just lost in thought. You were right, I am hungry.”

_I was really busy realizing I have a crush on you._

_But I’m also hungry so it isn’t exactly a lie._

“We’re almost to my house, I promise. Then you’ll get some of the best tasting food you’ve ever had,” Luz says with a grin. “I’m totally not biased because it’s my mom’s cooking.”

“I believe you,” Amity giggles. Luz lights up at her enthusiasm and begins to hum as they continue down the path, bouncing with each step.

Enjoying Luz’s little solo performance, her thoughts drift back to her little gay epiphany.

Is it okay to try to make a new unit with Luz if she has underlying feelings? Were those feelings the thing that caused performing with Luz to feel so right earlier? Their unit isn’t set in stone yet, Eda said she has to see if she can even get Lilith to let go of Amity. There’s time to change her mind, if she wants.

But a simple crush shouldn’t have caused the connection Eda says she saw between them. Whatever caused that was something different. They’re just compatible together as idols, that’s it.

Amity already told herself that she wouldn’t let go of the spark Luz managed to reignite within her. If she has to deal with her first crush to keep hold of it, then so be it. The crush is likely to go away soon anyways, since she developed it so quickly. The other girls she knows seem to like someone new every other week. 

If she can handle three years in the hell of Witch Chicks, she can handle this, for however long it lasts.

  
  


Luz’s house is small, compared to the urban area she’s spent her entire life in. Two stories tall with the second appearing to be an attic, all painted light blue, and a porch across the front. It looks pretty warm and inviting.

A stark difference from her own home.

Luz presents it with a flourish, grinning widely. “Welcome to mi casa, Amity! My humble beginnings.”

“I’m honored,” she replies, amused. They go up the white front steps and Luz opens the door.

“¡Mami, estoy en casa y he traído a un amigo conmigo!” she shouts inside. 

A woman’s voice replies shortly after, “¿Un amigo?” 

Amity is slightly taken aback by hearing Luz speak spanish, which makes her heart flutter. She knows casa means home and amigo means friend, so she’s able to take a guess as to what she just said.

A middle aged woman comes to the door. She’s a bit taller than Luz with darker skin and a pair of purple rimmed glasses placed on her nose. Her eyes, a similar shade to her daughter’s, hold a nearly identical shimmer deep within them.

She’s definitely Luz’s mom.

“Ah, hello! Please, come inside,” she smiles warmly, shutting the door behind them. “You must be Amity, Luz has been talking about you all week.”

“Mami!” Luz yelps, face reddening with embarrassment.

_Luz has been talking about me when she’s at home?_

“Uh, yes, that’s me. Amity Blight. It’s nice to meet you, Ms. Noceda.” Out of habit, she sticks her hand out to offer a handshake. 

Ms. Noceda laughs and shakes her hand before Amity can take it back. “You’re very polite. I think my daughter could learn a few things from you. And please, just call me Camila.”

Luz is sticking her tongue out at her mom, who just shrugs it off with a roll of her eyes. “How did the auditions go, mija?”

“You’re looking at one of the newest members of Coven Agency!” she exclaims, striking a dramatic pose.

Camila claps her hands together. “You made it! Oh, cariño, I’m so proud of you.” She gives her child a hug, ruffling her hair. “I’m going to start making lunch, okay? You two can go have fun, I’ll call you when I’m ready.”

“Thanks, mom,” Luz says as she grabs Amity’s hand, tugging her away. She takes her up to the second floor, which turns out to be half storage and half Luz’s room. And an attic, with slanted walls and some beams running along the ceiling.

Posters and drawings cover the walls, save for where there’s windows or furniture. The posters seem to be mostly _The Good Witch Azura_ and anime, while the drawings vary from landscapes to what appears to be Luz in an Azura costume.

Her bedsheets are purplish blue dotted with yellow stars and her dresser and desk are covered in stickers. Strands of fairy lights with crescent moon and star shaped bulbs are draped on the beams.

“Very cozy in here,” Amity comments. “I like it.” She walks up to her bed on the other side of the room and spots a magazine that she hadn’t noticed before. It’s the newest issue of _Teenspleen_ , one of those popular teenage girl magazines, flipped open to an article featuring Witch Chicks. 

Her friend notices what she’s looking at and she snatches it away, hiding it behind her back. “It’s just, um, research. Yeah. Since I’m an idol now.”

_But you weren’t officially scouted until just half an hour ago-_

Luz crams the magazine into her bookcase cluttered with reading material. “So,” she turns back around, blushing, “anything you’d like to do? I didn’t exactly think this far ahead.”

“I don’t get invited over to people’s houses very often so I’m happy enough just being here with you, honestly,” Amity says. She sits onto her bed, looking down at her hands.

She feels Luz join her, a few inches away. “Me too,” she says quietly, almost shyly.

Amity’s heart is pounding in her ears. Luz is so close yet so far away, too close yet not close enough. She’s itching inside to reach out and touch her, to make their fingers brush together. For even the slightest form of physical contact.

Luz claps her hands together, breaking the silence that was threatening to swallow them. “So, I realize we don’t know a lot about each other. How ‘bout we share some fun facts about ourselves?”

Amity can see the strained smile in her voice. She’s just as nervous as she is.

Uh, let’s see… My favorite color is actually pink.”

The younger girl turns to look at her and Amity nearly chokes over how close their faces are. Each and every feature is adorable.

“Really? But in the magazine it said green.”

“Y-yeah, it is. Lilith makes me say it’s green for image purposes..”

“That explains so much,” Luz giggles.

If Amity could blush any more, she would be right now. “I- why?” she squeaks.

Luz leans back on her hands, staring up at those fairy lights. “Because usually people who like the color pink are soft people. And you, Amity, are a soft person. Never struck me as a green type of gal.”

“Thank you?” is all Amity manages to say in return. Her heart is in her throat and all she wants to do is sit there forever and stare at her ridiculously adorable face.

_This is torture. Having a crush is torture._

Luckily, Luz decides to jump in, unfazed by her response. “My favorite color is purple. And one of my favorite animals are otters, so my mom got me a purple otter onesie for my birthday a couple years back. I _may_ have been kicked out of the eighth grade dance for wearing it, but I don’t regret a thing.”

She can’t help but burst into laughter, falling onto her back. “Oh my god, Luz, I knew you were a dork, but not this big of one.”

Through the tears forming in her eyes, she swears she sees Luz blushing.

Groaning, Luz flops down too, fingers briefly grazing the outside of Amity’s thigh. It tickles, causing Amity to flinch.

“Now you know my deepest, darkest secret, however will I cope?” Glancing over at Amity, she smiles playfully. “But I can tell you’re just as big of a dork. You’ve absolutely dressed up as Azura for Halloween multiple times.”

“...Maybe, but you have no proof of that.”

“I can just ask your siblings at dinner tonight.”

Amity doesn’t reply.

“Did you forget about the plans _you_ made with me already?

“Perhaps,” she admits sheepishly. “In my defense, it’s been a rather eventful day.” Clearing her throat, Amity finally answers her initial comment. “Maybe I have, but so have you, judging from how your room looks. Some of these posters are pretty old.”

“Hey, great minds think alike, don’t they?” She’s quiet for a moment after, voice shifting to just above a whisper. “Hey, when Eda asked if you wanted to leave your group to make a unit with me, did you really mean it when you said you would?”

Amity is taken aback by her question. “Of course I did, why?”

“I know you have issues with Boscha in your group, but we just met this Monday. Do you really want to throw away something you’ve been a part of for years for some random girl you barely know?”

The vulnerability in her voice makes her heart twist. It sounds scared, unconfident. As if everything it’s being told is only being said because it’s what she wants to hear.

“You’ve told me one of your secrets and now it’s my turn to share one. The truth is, I hate my group. I always have. Eda was right, I don’t mesh well with them at all. I don’t click with any of them, even if Boscha is the only one that’s mean.”

She pauses to see if Luz has any questions, continuing when she doesn’t. “Being in it hasn’t made me happy in years, but when I got to help audition with you, I felt genuine happiness.”

Reaching over to find Luz’s hand, she gives it a reassuring squeeze. “We clicked, Luz. It may sound cheesy, but I mean it. It was fun and exhilarating and I would do anything to keep hold of that feeling. Giving up Witch Chicks is a small price to pay for that.”

After several seconds with no reply, she turns to where Luz is lying. Brown eyes meet her own, wide and sparkling.

“Really?”

“Really.”

~~~

Twigs crunch under Amity’s feet as she follows her friend through the maze of trees and bushes. The leaves rustle as she holds branches back just long enough to slip through.They’ve been walking for the better part of ten or so minutes before Luz stops.

“And we’re here!”

She steps out of the dense forest and into a small clearing. It’s about half the size of one of the practice rooms at the agency, with grass as the floor and the sky as a ceiling. Wildflowers dot the edges by the treeline, swaying in the breeze.

It’s absolutely breathtaking. Like something straight out of a fairytale book.

“Welcome to my secret studio, Amity. My little hideaway from the world.” She twirls around, her dark brown hair shining in the sun. Grabbing one of Amity’s hands she leads her to a large tree at the edge. “Have you ever climbed a tree before?”

“I grew up in the city so no, can’t say that I have.”

Luz smiles widely. “Then I can teach you! This branch is more than capable of holding us both, so just watch me and then I’ll help you up.” She jumps up to grab hold of the thick bough, putting her feet against the trunk as she heaves herself up until she’s straddling the branch.

“Think you can do that on your own?”

Amity nods, cracking her knuckles. Tree bark is much rougher than she expected, so she has to do a second jump to get a proper grip. Luz thinks it’s amusing, smiling at her from a few feet above. “You sure you got this, Blight?”

“Just you watch, Noceda.”

Grunting from the effort, she copies Luz’s movements and within a dozen seconds is seated next to her, smug. Her hands are stinging but she doesn’t mention it.

Luz blinks a few times. “Well look at that, you did get it. I clearly didn’t realize how strong professional idols actually are.”

Amity just sticks her tongue out in reply.

“And here I was hoping to impress you with my pure athletic ability, but you’re the one that impressed me instead,” she sighs. “I would try something else like jumping down from this height but the two brain cells I have are telling me that is definitely going to hurt me.”

“Yeah, two broken legs will put you out of commission for quite a long time. Not ideal for a brand new idol.”

Clicking her tongue, Luz winces. “Yeah, that’d not be good. I’ll just get down the normal way instead.”

“Wait, we just got up here-”

Luz is already back on the ground, cupping her hands to her mouth. “Come dance with me!”

The city girl scrambles to safely mimic how Luz got down, dropping onto the ground. 

_Heck yeah, I did it-_

Amity’s foot lands at an awkward angle, sending her tumbling forward.

_Well, this is how I die. Tripping in front of my crush like a klutz. What an incredible last impression._

Instead of meeting the forest ground she finds herself held up by something soft and warm. She cracks open an eye and looks to see what saved her from certain doom. It’s Luz, her flushed face looking down at her, surprised.

_Somehow this is both better and worse._

“A-Are you okay?” she says after a moment, the arms wrapped around Amity’s back nearly burning into her skin. Not literally, but it certainly feels like they are.

Amity squeaks, nodding furiously as she scrambles back upright. She really wants to stay in Luz’s embrace but her heart can only handle so much. It’s still getting used to this entire “I have a crush” thing.

Luz rubs the back of her neck, laughing awkwardly. “Um, do you still want to dance with me or…”

“Yes!” she says a little too quickly. “I, uh, I mean I’d love to. I’m not hurt or anything.”

“Great!” Luz dashes to the center of the clearing, beckoning for Amity to join. The second she’s by her side she winks, beginning to dance to music that only she can hear.

Amity immediately recognizes the movements as the choreography to _Rockefeller Street_ and grins. They’re in the privacy of the circle of trees now, no human eyes watching them, scrutinizing their every move. No one to judge her feelings for the girl next to her, now that she’s aware of them.

The world around her turns silent, the chatter of birds and insects disappearing altogether the moment Luz opens her mouth.

Only she and Luz exist as they perform to an audience of zero. It feels almost like their souls are connected, allowing them to hit each note, each step of choreography perfectly in sync to each other.

That feeling from earlier is back, resonating in every cell in her body. She feels invincible, on top of the world. Every part of her being is alive, fueled by ecstasy.

The sounds of the forest return as the girls end the song, breaths short and fast with ecstatic smiles spread across their faces.

Amity lies on her back, giggling. The grass tickles the skin not covered by her clothing. “That was literally the most fun I’ve ever had my entire life.”

Luz lies down next to her, still catching her breath. “I didn’t say it earlier, but I felt it too. That we clicked. During the audition and again just now.”

She props herself up on her elbows. “I was afraid it was just in my head but now I know that it’s real.”

Heart fluttering, Amity sits up and ruffles Luz’s hair. It’s just as soft and fluffy as she imagined it’d be and much thicker than her own. “Of course it was. Eda saw it too.”

Luz closes her eyes at the touch. “You know, it may sound ridiculous, but it kinda feels like we’re idol soulmates. I can’t think of anything else to explain it.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> the art is by my wonderful friend @cryptinautz on instagram!! I didn't feel like drawing so he offered to instead and aljhfldjsdklhsfdslskjfd I know he's gonna read this so thank you again
> 
> pretty much done with school for the semester so I maybe will have more time to write but I also got two essays for a class that I had to take an incomplete for back in October and life is just pain
> 
> I wanna go to bed and it isn't even 10:30 pm here help

**Author's Note:**

> ao3 somehow saved this as a draft and in the process deleted everything I typed here so it's all gonna be sweet and short because I'm hungry
> 
> bitchy boscha fun to write so here she is
> 
> watch pripara it was a huge inspiration for this au
> 
> the art there is mine and I hate having to draw digitally on an iphone 5s
> 
> comments with your thoughts on this appreciated!!!


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